Karate Kid: Legends

Storyline

Legends picks up roughly three years after Cobra Kai wraps. The story centres on Li Fong, a young kung fu prodigy who relocates from Beijing to New York following the tragic death of his older brother. In NYC, he befriends Mia -Sadie Stanley, the daughter of former boxer Victor Lipani -Joshua Jackson, who now runs a pizzeria. When familiar troubles arise, bullies, a corrupt dojo, and looming tournaments, Li reluctantly joins a karate competition despite promising his mom he would avoid violence. To help him, Mr. Han calls in Daniel LaRusso, merging kung fu and Miyagi Do karate to create a powerful hybrid style. Set against the annual Five Boroughs tournament, Li's journey becomes one of healing, self-discovery, and honouring legacy, culminating in a showdown that blends action, nostalgia, and heartfelt mentorship.

Tags

Tagline

When masters unite, a new legacy begins

Motion Picture Rating (MPA)

PG-13

Trivia

• Ralph Macchio actively pushed to include a line honoring Mr. Miyagi, saying, Anytime I have the chance to spread a piece of his legacy, it's never the wrong choice-he wanted Daniel’s reverence for Miyagi woven deeply into the film.
• Macchio was 63 during filming, 12 years older than Pat Morita was when he starred in the original Karate Kid
• Jackie Chan, at age 71, proudly noted he didn’t need special training. I’ve been training every day for 64 years.
• The film’s release was delayed by five months to align with the conclusion of Cobra King.
• Chan performed most of his own stunts, only using doubles for particularly complex scenes.

Goofs

• The movie opens with archival footage from the Karate Kid Legends, labelled as taking place in 1986, but the film’s setting is actually 1985.

Quotes

• Mr. Han
• You cannot control when life knocks you down, Xiao Li, but you can control when you get back up.
• Daniel LaRusso (as urged by Macchio)
• Anytime I have the chance to spread a piece of his legacy, it’s never the wrong choice.

Crazy_credits

• The film begins with footage of Mr. Miyagi via Karate Kid Legend, a nod to the world-building across the franchise.
• William Zabka appears as Johnny Lawrence in a cameo near the end, another familiar face crossing into this sequel’s universe.

Connections

• This film officially bridges the original Karate Kid films, the 2010 reboot, and Cobra Kai, unifying them all in one Miyagiverse.
• Mr. Han and Mr. Miyagi are revealed to have known each other, tying the martial arts lineages together.
• The timeline is set about three years after the final season of Cobra Kai.

Soundtracks

• Composer- Dominic Lewis, who incorporated Bill Conti’s classic themes from the original Karate Kid films.
• Soundtrack Album: Released May 30, 2025, with about 54 minutes of score, under Milan Records.
• Reviews were mixed: Film trackers called it a chaotic mess, while others, like Variety and The Hollywood Reporter, praised it as amazing and memorable.
• Featured songs not on the official soundtrack album include:
• Da Ya Think I’m Sexy -Rod Stewart
• First Blood -Kavinsky
• I Want It That Way -Backstreet Boys
• LCD Soundsystem, Damian Marley and Nas, Eric B. and Rakim, and others
• Additional tunes like California Love and Da Ya Think I'm Sexy were highlighted personally in bullet point reviews.